2019 Bella Oaks Proprietary Blend
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Tasting notes
93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc. Certified organic. Deep purple with a hint of ruby. Quiet and ferrous. Deep and cedary on the palate with balanced acidity and rich fruit. Decent length. Not as expressive fruit-wise as 2021 but with a nicer vein of cedar down the middle. (SCJ)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
As is common, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a slightly riper, broader wine compared to the focused 2018. Awesome blackcurrants, chocolate, spice, and dried herb notes give way to a full-bodied, velvety textured, utterly seamless 2019 that has a great mid-palate, no hard edges, and a great finish. Drink this beauty over the coming 20-25 years.
The 2019 Bella Oaks Proprietary Red Wine is a more than worthy follow up to the fabulous 2018. Proprietor Suzanne Deal Booth and winemaker Nigel Kinsman crafted a wine that captures all the pedigree of this historic Rutherford site in spades. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry, mocha, blood orange, spice and mint all soar out of the glass as this majestic, statuesque Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its undeniable pedigree. In 2019, Kinsman opted to co-ferment a dollop of Cabernet Franc, a choice that paid off brilliantly. The 2019 is not as potent as the 2018, but instead is all about finesse and elegance. It shows just how refined Napa Valley can be. I only hope I have a chance to taste it as a mature wine. In a word: unforgettable.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has an evocative, savory nose of charcuterie, tapenade and sautéed herbs over a core of warm cassis, damp soil and truffles, plus wafts of ripe plums and raspberry leaves. Medium to full-bodied with lots of tight-knit savory and earthy layers, the fruit is beautifully supported by fantastic freshness and a firm, grainy texture, finishing long and minerally. A stunning expression of this very special place! 470 cases were made. While the Bella Oaks vineyard in Rutherford has a lot of history, formerly selling fruit to famous wineries such as Heitz and Staglin, it has only been launched as a producer in its own right. Since acquiring the vineyard in 2010, Suzanne Deal Booth has set about rehabilitating the vineyard with the help of David Abreu. More recently, Nigel Kinsman—winemaker at Accendo and his own Kinsman Eades label—has come on board as winemaker with Michel Rolland consulting.